The cooking of pasta, rice, noodles and such is a practice that dates back many years. Pasta and noodles are generally boiled in water. Rice is generally boiled or steamed. The starchy properties of these foods requires that they be combined with the cooking water at the time of cooking, and not long before. Otherwise, the foods will absorb the water, become soft and sticky, clump together, and will not properly cook.
Rice to be boiled is usually placed into a pot of water and then brought to a boil over a heat source. After a period of boiling, the rice must be drained of the water to prevent overcooking and clumping. The cooked rice must thereafter be kept warm and moist until eaten to preserve the flavor and texture obtained from such cooking.
Proper preparation of pasta and noodles requires that the water be pre-boiled before the food is added. After a period of further boiling, the food is drained of the water and kept warm and moist for those same reasons mentioned.
People, having various individual preferences, may desire that the foods be softer and more thoroughly cooked, or firmer and less thoroughly cooked. This may be controlled by the boiling time, cooking pressure, or cooking temperature.
As can be assumed from the cooking method, the cooking of such starchy foods is an involved process which to-date has required the direct attention of the preparer to avoid improper results.